


When night comes

by emerwenaranel



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-10-02 20:59:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17271032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emerwenaranel/pseuds/emerwenaranel
Summary: Tuor is ill but help comes from an unexpected person.





	1. Illness

It was a starless and cold night. Only the moon was hanging from the sky but it was shimmering with a hideous light. It was yet another cruel night of winter., and it was snowing while a cold wind was blowing on Tuor's face as he was walking back to the Caves of Androth, the only place that he could call home. But he could not complain about anything since he was a free man now, terrorrising his enemies, even though he was not interested in revenge.  
Tuor gritted his teeth, shivering due to the cold of the night. But he finally reached the Caves and he collapsed on the ground, feeling very tired. He had been hunting for days but he was not able to kill a deer this time. He was so angry for this reason. But he knew that he had to control his temper. Suddenly, he realised that he was still shivering and that he was having a fever. He lit a fire in order to feel better and he sat close to it, hoping that he would recover soon.  
Tuor covered himself with a blanket but he thought that he was getting worse. He wanted to eat and drink but he did not have the strength to cook or fill a glass with red wine. He lied down, and he soon fell asleep, trying to forget how hungry and thirsty he was. He had to find a way to forget the pain he was feeling that moment. Tuor wished that he would dream of his parents, even though he had never met them because they had died so soon, so young. But it would be a great comfort for him to dream of them that night.  
The Adan fell asleep and he dreamt of those terrible years when he had been a thrall. Those years were full of pain because he was treated like an animal. Lorgan hated him because Tuor was the descendant of the true Lords of Dor-lomin. But Tuor had to kill in order to escape from his oppressors. And he was a free man now, determined to see his dreams coming true. But, as he was asleep, he suddenly felt a soft touch on his forehead and he woke up.  
An Easterling woman was taking care of him, and this was so kind of her. But Tuor could not remember her name, even though her face was vaguely familiar. He could not utter a word because he was so surprised by her appearance. The woman did not speak either but she was cooking a soup for them both. In front of the young man, there was a glass with red wine, and the woman nodded at him, inviting him to drink the wine.  
Tuor thanked her with a whisper, and he took a sip of the drink. He felt somewhat better that moment, his thirst was quenched, and he tried to smile at her. But his smile faltered because he did not know what to say to her that moment. He was so shy when he approached a woman because he did not know much about them. He would rather fight, he was more confident when he fought against the Dark Lord's servants.  
But this woman seemed to feel awkward as well, as if she was surprised by her courage to approach a man. She could not speak due to her terror since Tuor was an exceedingly tall man and very muscular. But Tuor would not hurt her, he was not that kind of person. He did not hate women, despite the fact that he ignored many important facts about them. On the other hand, he was willing to learn as much as possible about them.  
But how could he ask her all those questions when he was so timid? He did not know what to say that moment, he was really at loss for words. Tuor found the curage to smile at her, however, and his smile was so sweet that the woman seemed somehow relieved. She realised that this man would not harm her. The whole situation was strange for both of them but they knew that they were not in danger, at least, for the time being.  
Tuor smiled at her and he asked her name, but she did not respond to that question. "I do not want you to know my name because I do not want you to betray it. I do not want you to say that I am here right now" her voice was soft but there was also a tone of firmness.  
"I will not betray you" the Adan shook his head. "I know that it is dangerous for us both to be together right now, so I will not say anything. I am not putting you in danger. Your secrets are safe with me" he spoke with kindness.  
"Still, I must protect my identity. I need to keep it secret because a name is too important to share it with someone who hates the Easterlings" she responded.  
"I do not hate all the Easterlings" Tuor disagreed. "I know that their women suffer at their hands, I saw it with my own eyes when I was their slave."  
"I know that you were a thrall and I pity you for this reason" she spoke.  
"I do not like pity, there is something cruel in pity" he snapped.  
"I do not mean to be cruel, I am trying to say that we are on the same side, even though I should be denfending my people right now" she sighed.  
"I think that it is strange that you are helping me right now" Tuor looked at her, trying to calm down.  
"I am helping you because you are ill. I want you to leave this land forever, before the Easterlings and the orcs find you here. Do you not know that there is a high price for your head? An insanely high price?" she asked.  
"I know that Lorgan wants me dead" Tuor shrugged. "But I do not know where to go."  
"There shall be the time when you will have to leave. But please, stay away from trouble" she begged.  
"I cannot do that because trouble seems to love me more than I love it. I am hunted down like an animal, even though I am a free man now. Your people keep looking for me because they want to murder me. How can I stay out of trouble when they do not leave me alone?" he wondered.  
"I know that they hate you. But you should stay here because they do not dare approach the places where the Elves once dwelt. You are safe here, and I will not betray you, even though I will suffer because of it" she was immensely sad that moment.  
"You should not have come here, seriously" Tuor's voice was kind now. "You should stay away from me since I will be the cause of your suffering."  
"I had to come here and see if you are alright. This is the wish of the woman who likes thye Atani, even though she is not considered to be one of them."  
"I do not know why the Easterlings are not considered to be humans. Maybe because the betrayed my people at Nirnaeth Arneodiad" he sighed in melancholy that moment. This battle was the reason why Tuor had lost both of his parents. He knew that Huor was slain by a venomed arrow in the eye before his son was born. And mother died of grief when she was told that her husband was buried under the Hill of the Slain.  
"I know of the treachery. But not all Easterlings are treacherous. Bor and his sons are loyal to the Elves" she said because she did not know the word "Eldar".  
"But too many other Easterlings fought for Morgoth. We cannot forget it. And they invaded the land of my ancestors. and they are tormenting my people" Tuor told her.  
"I am doing my best to relieve the pain of those who come from the House of Hador. For the other houses, I do not know much" she whispered.  
"I come from the three Houses of the Edain" Tuor whispered. "But the House of Beor has fallen, and the House of Hareth live far away. I think that the Haladin are still free, I wish I was with them right now" he whispered again.  
"I wish you could go there, but they will see you and they will arrest you. Again" she warned him.  
"I wish to find another place, which is far away, but I do not know how to find it" Tuor remembered Annael's words about Annon-in-Gelydh.  
"I wish that you will find it soon because you should be leaving already" she said.  
"But how am I supposed to move when I am ill?" he asked her.  
"I will help you recover. I am coming back tomorrow to see if you are better' she smiled this time, and her smile was beautiful.  
Tuor blushed when he saw that smile because he had almost forgotten how it felt like to be treated so nicely by someone else.  
"It is time to eat that soup" she said simply.  
The Adan thanked her for cooking for him, and these simple words were so meaningful. There was no reason to say something else that moment, for he thought that more words would destroy the beauty of the moment.  
At the same time, he thought that she could be a mother figure for him, even though she was so young. He guessed that she had the same age with him. But he needed to lean on someone, he needed to trust a person instead of living a life of fear and hatred. He wanted to go away, but he could not find the Gate of the Noldor, even though he had been looking for it for so many days and nights. On the other hand, he doubted that this woman knew where this Gate was.  
And he still did not know if he could trust her, even though she treated him so kindly. But he wanted to trust her because she had the courage to come to his hiding place and help him during his illness. Tuor hated feeling like this because he had not been ill for so many years. He could recover from it, however, he remembered the Sindar way of recovering from an illness, and this knowledge was useful right now.  
But this woman knew of the mortal way to help someone recover from the fever. There was something motherly in her, something very kind, even though Tuor could not trust her people because they were tormenting the remnant ofthe Hadorians. He could not think of the people of the House of Beor because they were even fewer than the Hadorians. But he could trust her now, he knew he could.


	2. Tuor's thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tuor tries to understand who this woman is.

Tuor ate his soup but he suddenly realised that it was snowing outside. He wondered how this woman would be able to leave from the caves. He shivered at the thought of her leaving footprints on the thick snow, the footprints that could betray his exact location. On the other hand, she did not seem to be willing to leave any time soon. She seemed to like his company, even though they were not speaking to each other now. They were silent and thoughtful- both of them. But there was a kind of strange pleasure in this thoughtful silence. He thought that he liked that.  
Tuor examined her face and he thought that she was an attractive woman, but he would never fall in love with her. He wanted another dream to come true: he wanted to go to Gondolin one day and talk to king Turgon. But he did not know the road that led to the hidden kingdom. However ,he wished that he would eventualy find the way which led to Gondolin, but he could not take the Easterling woman with him because he thought that she wanted to stay with her people. He dounted that she wanted to see the outside world. But he wanted to go to other lands one day.  
Tuor finished his soup and he took a sip of the red wine. He licked his lips, feeling calm now. He wanted to ask her so many questions but he doubted that she would reply to them. She did not seem to be the person who liked many questions. Tuor wished that she would be willing to respond to his questions because he really wanted to learn her name. He could not let her go without knowing that. He had to thank the woman who helped him while he was ill but he was too tired to speak that moment. He shivered again, feeling the cold of the night. He hated winters so much.  
The woman covered him with another blanket, and a kind smile was formed on her lips. She was so caring, even though Tuor doubted that she knew him that well. He thought that he could recall her face but he could not remember her name. He doubted that he had ever heard it. And this woman seemed to like the fact that he could not remember anything. Tuor could understand her shyness- if it was shyness. It was also her protection, she did not want to be betrayed by revealing something as important as her nam,e. It was the core of her identity, she did not want to reveal it yet.  
The Adan could understand that, even though he liked revealing his name to others, even when the others wanted to harm him. But Tuor could fight well, exceptionally well. He could be lethal when he wanted to, even though this night was different. He needed some peace that night. He needed to forget and be forgotten. He had to find a way to escape from Hithlum, he needed a sign that would lead him to the Gate of the Noldor but there was no sign yet. He wondered what he was supposed to do, he could not wait anymore. The woman noticed that he was impatient, and she tried to calm him down.  
She softly touched his forehead, whispering words of hope and comfort in a world that had grown cold and dangerous. Tuor deeply appreciated her kind attitude towards him, he wanted her to stay there that night because he craved for someone's company that night. And she seemed to be much better than the men of her race. He knew that he could trust her now, because she stayed there to take care of him. He wondered when he would do the same for her. He had to help her, he wanted her to escape from this cruel place where everyone suffered at the hands of their enemies.  
Men could be so cruel to others, but the orcs were far worse. There was their master's malice and cruelty in them, Tuor thought that there was something supernatural in those monsters that made them thirty for more blood. But he did not talk about that to this woman because he did not want to scare her. Tuor could be cruel, but he was not as cruel as his enemies, so he chose to remain silent and be lost in his thoughts. The woman was not troubled by his choice to do that, she wanted to be silent as well. She loved looking at him because he was so different from most men she knew.  
She doubted that it was love, but it was certainly admiration. She wished that she could get married to a man like Tuor but her father would never let her do that. She was sad because of this but she had to be strong and fierce. If she could not marry the man she wanted, she would stay a single woman, even though her people would probably call her a witch, which was so funny because they used this word for Morwen, whom she had met once. But Tuor was not a sorcerer or something like that, he was much kinder, she could feel his kindness that moment.  
Tuor did not want to mistreat her because he was a kind man, indeed. But he did not know what ot say to her that moment because he was so shy. He was not used to talking to women, especially to an Easterling woman since he believed that all the Easterlings hated him. But she was so different fro mthe rest of her people because she was there to take care of him. He wondered why she wanted to help him. "Why are you helping me?" he mumbled.  
"I am helping you because I care for you. I remember you when you were younger, a thrall of my people. But you were so strong and determined to escape and you are a free man now. I wish I was free, just like you are" she spoke but her voice was a whisper.  
"I hope that you will find your freedom one day. But you must fight hard for it" Tuor said.  
"I know, but I think that I lack the courage to fight" she sighed in dismay.  
"I do not think that you are not courageous. You will find the courage to fight and escape. I want you to do that."  
"I may do this one day. But you have to leave before me. It would be suspicious if we left together. I do not want people to gossip."  
"I do not care for those who gossip" Tuor chuckled.  
"I know you do not care, but I do not want to raise any suspicions. I want you to go away and search for a better place. It is said that Cirdan's land is safe."  
"I did not know that you know Cirdan!"  
"I have heard of him. But I do not trust the elves."  
"And the Elves do not trust you either" Tuor was grim.  
"But not all Easterlings are evil" she commented.  
"I know you are a very kind woman but I do not trust the others. What if they find us here?" he asked.  
"They will not find us, I have done my best to hide here" she smiled tiredly.  
"I see... But IU think that you should leave. It is dangerous to stay here. I do not want them to notice that you are far away from your house."  
"The Easterlings are having a feast tonight. So, they will not notice that I am absent" she spoke, still tired.  
"I think that you should sleep because you look exhausted. I do not want you to hurt yourself like this" Tuor told her.  
"I do not want to sleep yet, I came here to see you because I am so curious about you. I want to know more about you because we never had the chance to speak when you were a thrall" she said.  
"I am sure that you know much about me. I mean that Lorgan said to everyone why he had kept me as his thrall. So, you know that I descend from the true Lords of Dor-lomin" he shivered once again, even though he was covered with two blankets.  
"You are still having a fever, and this is the rwason why you are shivering uncontrollably. Drink more wine. Its warmth will help you feel better" she suggested.  
He nodded and he took a gulp of the drink. He looked at her and he thanked her for her great kindess. She smiled and she blushed at the same time.  
Tuor blushed as well, because he thought that he had said to much when he wanted to be silent. But he liked talking to her, it was a great chance to get used to the female presence. He liked her company because she was probably the only person who cared for him while the others wanted him dead. But Tuor was determined to stay alive and flee from Hithlum sooner or later. He had to escape from the cruel fate that was awaiting him there, he wanted to shape his future and he was sure that he would find happiness one day.


	3. Silence opposes speech

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tuor tries to be friendly, even though he is too shy.

They both fell silent for a while, lost in their thoughts but there was still so much to say. Tuor was too shy to speak, however, he was at loss for words because he deeply admired this woman for being so different from him. Tuor was used to fighting but this woman was giving a different battle. She was trying to survive in this cruel world. But he was determined to live his life to the fullest. He was determined to leave now, that woman had convinced him to leave from Hithlum forever. He wanted to leave and find the Gate of the Noldor, hoping that Annon-in-Gelydh was the way to Gondolin.  
Tuor hoped for the best that moment. He had to act immediately, he had to find a way to escape thralldom. He was a slave in the past and he did not like that at all, he did not want to be a thrall again. But he was full of regrets that moment because he did not want to leave this woman behind. He did not want this kind woman to suffer even more but she seemed determined to stay at Hithlum, she did not seem to be curious enough to see other lands. But Tuor was much more curious, he wanted to travel far and wide. He had to find the hidden kingdom as soon as possible.  
He knew that there would be a sign that would tell him when the right moment to leave would come. Tuor smiled at this thought, but the woman did not seem to notice that smile. She was still lost in her thoughts, somewhat melancholic. Deep down inside, she wished that she could escapoe from this cruelty and live alone, far away from everyone. But she had to stay with her people and help those who were in need. For there were Easterlings who were poor, while Lorgan was even richer as time passed quickly. She thought that this was unfair, but who was she to change the world?  
On the other hand, Tuor had hopes of changing this world because he was stronger, braver than she was. She deeply admired him for all these reasons. She wished that she was like him but she had to accept the fact that she was much different from him. She should be more confident and realise that her people needed her, even though many of them thought that she was a witch. But she did not care much about those gossips now, Tuor certainly did not care about gossiping. He was confident, so confident that he believed in himself or so she thought about him.  
The unnamed Easterling woman wanted to be as confident as Tuor was. But she had to keep some secrets, she did not want to betray them because she did not know who was eavesdropping. She could only hope that nobody had followed her to the Caves of Androth, where Tuor dwelt. She trusted Tuor but she could not trust others because she had witnessed so much cruelty. She was young, only 23 years old, but she had felt the meaning of cruelty. She wished that Tuor would escape from Hithlum because she did not want him to suffer anymore since they were friends.  
She was happy that she had found a friend in this world, even though she knew that this friendship would end soon. But this woman found comfort in the thought that her firend would soon be safe, far away from Mithrim. He had tarried for far too long, she thought, and she wondered why he was procrastinating. But Tuor seemed to be waiting for something important to happen, somethng that would soon be revealed to him, and he would leave after this great revelation. She hoped that he would find what he was looking for because he deserved all the happiness in the world.  
Tuor wondered if she would find happiness eventually. He could see that she was not married yet, even though the women of the Easterlings married too young. But he hoped that she would stay free, that she would be single forever because she seemed to like the freedom of being single. He would marry one day, however, he could see that he would find a woman whom would love so much. And she would love him in return. But this moment would happen in the distant future, he thought. He had to stay single for a while and fight against the Dark Lord and his servants.  
"Will you follow me?" he asked the woman, hoping that she would accept his offer this time.  
"No" she shook her head in disagreement.  
"I wish you would come with me, though. You will find happiness if you ever leave Dor-lomin. But I understand that you have your reasons to stay here. I wonder which reasons are those, however."  
"I only wnat to help my people" she shrugged. "I cannot leave them alone because I know that many Easterlings suffer as well. Lorgan is cruel with his own people as well."  
"But he hates the people od the House of Hador even more" Tuor noticed.  
"This is true, but you will achieve liberty one day. I can foresee it. But the Easterlings will not find freedom so easily. They are so scared of the Dark Lord that they will serve him for too many years."  
"Maybe you will achieve liberty as well if you rebel."  
"You underestimate the power of fear, son of Huor."  
"Maybe I do, but I do not like it when people are so scared. They must use their fear to be more courageous."  
"Not everyone is like you" the woman ahook her head in dismay.  
"I guess you are right. But fear can transform into courage when one knows how to master this feeling."  
"You are wise, young man, if you know how to be courageous while being scared. But I am not as brave as you are. Many Easterlings are not as valiant as the Men of the House of Hador" she spoke.  
"I know some brave Easterlings. Look at Bor and his sons" Tuor responded to her words.  
"They paid their courage with their lives. I do not wish to die by being courageous" she hissed.  
"But you will die one day, having lived a life full of fear."  
"I guess I will. But I will not have died young. You will die young if you stay here."  
"I am leaving soon, I am only waiting for a sign that wil lshow me the way to the place I want to go."  
"Do not tell me where you want to go because I do not want them to find out. Leave in secrecy. Leave as soon as possible" she spoke with a hasty voice.  
"I will not be in haste. I am only waiting for the right moment to come."  
"I hope that this moment is coming soon because I cannot stand the thought of you dying. Or even worse, being a thrall again."  
"I am not becoming a thrall again, I am determined to maintain my freedom. So, there is no reason to worry about me so much" Tuor responded.  
"I hope the best for you. But now, we should do something about your fever. Drink this tonic, it will help you feel better" her voice was soft now.  
"I do not need the tonic. I only want to drink more wine. It shall be the reason why I will start laughing loudly, and this will scare my enemies. They hate laughter so much."  
"I wish I could laugh at them but I do not want to be punished by doing so" she sighed.  
"I want to make you laugh but I am not good with jokes."  
"I know some jokes but I am not saying them because there is something cruel in bad humour."  
"I guess you are right. But I wish to laugh, I want to be happy for once, I want to forget that I am ill right now."  
"I will do my best. What if you listen to a song of my people? it is not like the other Eastern songs you have heard."  
"Is it about love?" Tuor asked her.  
"Yes, it is about love" she aid with a whisper. She started singing with her fair voice, and Tuor was moved .He wondered if he would ever love and be loved. He hoped that he would fall in love one day. Because he was tired of this life of solitude.


	4. Exhaustion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tuor feels lonely again but, at the same time, he is glad that he had a friend.

Tuor suddenly realised that he was feeling tired, too tired, because he had not slept well. He had been hunting alone for days, and this fact added to his exhaustion. He smiled, however, because he was with his new friend. He knew that he could trust this woman since she would never betray his exact location. And he knew that the Easterlings and the orcs would never approach the Caves of Androth, since they were so scared of the places where the Sindar Elves once dwelt. He was safe for the time being, but he knew that he had to leave one day and find Gondolin since this was his greatest dream.  
Tuor tried to stay awake and he smiled timidly at the woman. She smiled back at him because she knew she was safe with him. She would not get hurt as long as she was with a man who was the descendant of the true Lords of Dor-lomin. They were both silent for a while, not knowing what to say to each other. It was truly an awkward moment for them both. But Tuor cherished this silence since it was full of meaning. He had spent so many days alone but he suddenly discovered that it was not so important to speak all the time. He had said what he wanted to say, and there was no reason to say anything else that moment.  
The Easterling woman filled two glasses with wine and she took a sip of the drink. She offered the other glass to her friend, and they were drinking together in silence, which was not so awkward this time. Tuor felt better when he drank some wine, he was not feeling so ill this time, but he knew that he had to sleep in order to have some rest. He smiled at her, but his exhaustion was betrayed now. The woman told him to sleep, but her voice was a whisper. Tuor shook his head in disagreement, and he said that he did not want to sleep yet. He would rather stay awake and look at her dark eyes.  
The woman blushed because she had never heard a kind word for her appearance before. She was certainy a beautiful woman, but the Esasterlings wanted to marry the women of the House of Hador. They loved forcing those blond women into marrying them. But Tuor was different since he would never hurt a woman, even if this woman was his enemy. She hoped, however, that he did not think she was his enemy. She felt once again that she could trust him because he was such a kind-hearted person. She wanted to spend more time with him but she suddenly realised that it was time to leave. Leave before her absence was noticed.  
Tuor asked her to stay for a while, and she did not know what to do that moment. She wished to stay there forever but she knew that this was dangerous for them both. And she did not want Tuor to suffer since he was her friend. She had to bid him farewell, with they hope that they would meet again. She promised to him that she would try to come back as soon as possible since she wanted to check on him. But she could not stay there any longer. Tuor understood what she was saying and he told her that she could go. She left, and he felt lonely again. He was sad that moment because he was left alone to suffer.  
But he knew that he had to be strong and brave, it was just an illness from which he could recover. He knew that he would feel better soon, he would feel much better when morning would dawn. He closed his eyes and he soon fell asleep. He dreamt of this woman, and he dreamt that he was asking for her name, but she never toldl him that. She did not want to reveal her identity, and he wodnered why. He was so sad because he wanted to get to know her and protect her. He wanted to be her friend and take her with him, to a safer land. But he knew, deep down inside, that she would never follow him.  
She would stay there forever, until the end of her days. And Tuor was immenesly sad for this reason. He wished to protect this woman from harm but she wanted to protect herself, she did not want a man to defend her. Tuor had to admit that this woman was brave, as brave as he was. So, he thought that he had to see her for the last time before he left Hithlum forever. He had to leave as soon as possible, before he would get caught by the Easterlings and the orcs. He feared for the worst, so he had to act as soon as he could and escape from those terrible people. He had to remain a free man.  
He woke up at dawn and he was feeling much better. The fever had subsided, and he went outside. The sun was shining brightly, and a soft breeze was blowing, as if the whole world was happy. It was a wonderful day, indeed, and it was obvious that the Dark Lord cold never defile this beauty. This kind of beauty was meant to last forever, and Tuor's heart was filled with hipe that moment. He smiled happily that moment, feeling dtronger than ever. And he was sure that moment that it was time to leave Hithlum forever. He had to forsake the land of his ancestors and find Gondolin as soon as possible.


End file.
